Women's Basketball

2011-12 SEASON IN REVIEW

April 6, 2012

BOSTON, Mass. - The Emmanuel College women's basketball team
enjoyed one of the greatest campaigns in the program's history,
compiling a 25-7 overall record en route to the program's
second-ever appearance in the Elite Eight round of the NCAA
Division III tournament. Along the way, the Saints posted a perfect
13-0 regular season record in Great Northeast Athletic Conference
action before capturing their sixth consecutive GNAC title under
the tutelage of Head Coach Andy
Yosinoff, who was tabbed the D3Hoops.com Northeast Coach of the
Year. Yosinoff was also named the 2012 recipient of the Red
Auerbach Award, an honor bestowed to the National Jewish Coach of
the Year.

EC kicked off the year by hosting the 28th Annual Emmanuel
College Invitational, falling in the opening round to Heidelberg
University, 70-69 but were able to recovering winning the
consolation game vs. Moravian, 91-81 behind a monster game from
junior forward Fiona
O'Dwyer (Stamford, Conn.) who recorded a double-double with 28
points and 20 rebounds in the win.

The Saints would improve to 4-1 with three straight
non-conference victories over tough opponents in Eastern
Connecticut State, Brandeis University and Rhode Island College
before dropping a decision to the No. 1 ranked team in the nation
in Amherst College, 84-60, despite holding a second half lead.

The women would wrap up the semester with wins over Salem State
and Endicott College before heading to the United Kingdom for the
London South Bank Invitational over their semester break for four
exhibition contests as well as some sightseeing and team-bonding.
The trip was a success as freshman forward Lena
Negri (Arlington, Va.) was named the tourney MVP but the team
did suffer a setback as junior guard Laura
Benvenuto (Wyckoff, N.J.) went down with a broken wrist that
would sideline her for the beginning of the second semester.

Over the first two weeks of the second semester, Emmanuel would
post a 6-1 record with GNAC wins over Lasell, Suffolk, Rivier,
Saint Joseph's (CT), Anna Maria and Emerson. The only loss during
the streak was to regional powerhouse Bowdoin College on the road
in Brunswick, Maine.

After dropping a pair of games to NESCAC schools in Tufts and
Wesleyan, the Saints regrouped to begin a stretch of some of the
best basketball in the program's history, posting 13 consecutive
victories in which they'd outscore opponents by an average of 19.5
points including three wins in the GNAC tournament and three
victories in the NCAA tourney.

The streak began with home victories over Simmons College (69-56
on 1/28) and Pine Manor (89-42 on 2/1) before making it three in a
row with an 86-57 road win over Albertus Magnus that saw four
players in double-figures including O'Dwyer (15), seniors Meghan
Kirwan (Melrose, Mass.) (14) and Breanna
Ockimey (Philadelphia, Pa.) (14) and freshman Vanessa
Bramante (Stoneham, Mass.) (11).

The Saints would continue to roll with three more home wins over
Johnson & Wales (72-45 on 2/7), Norwich (83-55 on 2/11) and a
very important victory vs. Saint Joseph's (ME) in a showdown for
the No. 1 seed in the upcoming GNAC tourney. Led by Negri's 20
points and 12 rebound, EC was able to prevail 60-46 and lock up the
No. 1 spot and home court in the playoff. Benvenuto also made her
return from the wrist injury in the win.

A 75-55 victory over Mount Ida wrapped up the Saints perfect
regular season record at 13-0 as the squad set its sights on a
sixth straight GNAC Championship. Emmanuel was tested by the No. 8
seed in the opening round as Norwich University hung around most of
the game before the Saints were able to put them away in a 66-54
win behind a strong shooting performance by Ockimey who finished
with 17 points.

In the GNAC Semifinals, the Saints cruised to an 87-58 victory
over Suffolk as Kirwan and Ockimey contributed 15 points apiece
while freshman guard Britni
Mikulanecz (Portland, Maine) added a season-high 12 points in
the win.

Making their 12th consecutive appearance in the GNAC
Championship game, the Saints seized the moment with a 68-57
victory over Saint Joseph's (ME) in a well played title contest.
With the score deadlocked at 34-34 at the half, the Saints used
some clutch shooting by Kirwan and O'Dwyer down the stretch to
capture their sixth consecutive GNAC title. O'Dwyer ended the day
with 24 points while Kirwan added 20 and was named the tournament
MVP.

In the opening round of the NCAA tournament, the Saints would
face Hartwick College who received an at-large bid after falling in
the Empire 8 Championship game to Ithaca College. Hartwick was in
control early in the contest leading by as many as 13 in the first
half before the Saints stormed back to tie the score at 31-all
heading into halftime. Emmanuel would open the second half strong,
build a double-digit lead and hold on for the 68-61 win.

In the sectional finals, the Saints would face the sectional
host Rhode Island College in a rematch of their December 1 meeting
in which EC was able to hand the Anchorwomen one of only three
losses on the year to date. In another great game that saw neither
team lead by more than seven points, Emmanuel was able to prevail,
57-52, to advance to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2007.
The senior duo of Kirwan and Ockimey came up big, combining for 23
points in the win to keep their careers alive.

EC would draw King's College (Pa.) in the Sweet 16 with all the
games being played at Amherst College, the No. 1 team in the nation
and regional host. Despite falling behind early, the Saints were in
control much of the action and would post a 67-56 victory to earn
just the second-ever berth to the Elite 8 for the program with the
other coming in 2001. O'Dwyer registered a game-high 24 points in
the win while Kirwan continued her dominant play with 18 points and
12 rebounds in the win.

To reach the Final 4 for the second time in the program's
history, the Saints would have to go through No. 1 Amherst on their
home court in their Elite 8 matchup. Emmanuel was unable to muster
up some magic to hand the Lord Jeffs their first loss of the year
as Amherst collected an 84-61 win to end the Saints fantastic year
with a 25-7 overall record.

Kirwan capped the season with numerous accolades including First
Team All-GNAC honors, the GNAC tournament and regular season MVP
selection, D3Hoops.com First Team All-Northeast as well as a
Capital One Academic All-District First Team honoree. Joining her
on the GNAC First team was O'Dwyer who set a new conference
single-season record with 217 field goals made.

Yosinoff and the Saints lose Kirwan and Ockimey to graduation
but will welcome back 12 letterwinners from this year's Elite Eight
squad that finished the season ranked No. 19 in the nation in the
D3Hoops.com Top 25 poll.